“Brother Li, why are you here?” Zheng Baishi quickly asked upon seeing Li Muyun.

Li Muyun calmly greeted Qin Wan before responding, “There’s much discussion about this case in court, so I came to take a look. Brother Zheng, you and the Princess are—”

“We plan to re-examine the remains,” Zheng Baishi said, glancing at Qin Wan. “We need to find more clues to confirm the deceased’s identity. Otherwise, when we present this to the Emperor, we won’t have confidence in our findings.”

The Emperor would ask him: Was this person Song Xiwen?

If Zheng Baishi casually responded with “probably,” “maybe,” or “possibly,” the Emperor might throw his royal brush at his head the next moment. Zheng Baishi smiled bitterly, “Brother Li, why don’t you join us? When the Emperor asks later, you can help vouch for our findings.”

Li Muyun was skilled in judicial matters and knew something about examining corpses, though not as proficiently as Qin Wan.

With this invitation, Li Muyun naturally followed along.

Entering the inner hall where the body was kept, constables were already waiting with examination tools. Qin Wan observed the adult male remains, then after a moment’s silence said, “I’m afraid this alone won’t be enough. I need to request Lord Zheng’s help.”

Both Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun looked at Qin Wan. “What do you need, Princess?”

Qin Wan thought for a moment, first looking outside to see that the rain had stopped, then formulated a plan. Spotting writing materials nearby, she immediately walked over and picked them up. She made several quick strokes on the paper, then brought it to show Zheng Baishi. “I need Lord Zheng to find a place to dig a pit like this.”

On the paper, Qin Wan had drawn a rectangular pit with dimensions marked: “This pit should be five feet long, three feet wide, and two feet deep, just enough to fit these remains.”

Zheng Baishi examined it carefully. Such a pit wouldn’t be difficult to dig, but he didn’t know Qin Wan’s purpose. He quickly asked, “May I ask what this is for, Princess?”

Qin Wan’s lips tightened slightly. “I want to… steam the bones.”

Steam the bones?! Zheng Baishi’s eyes widened as he looked toward Li Muyun, who appeared particularly surprised.

Due to urgency, Qin Wan had no time to mind their reactions. Traditional forensic methods were limited and wouldn’t yield more clues. Therefore, she had to use extraordinary measures.

Since Qin Wan had given the order, Zheng Baishi could only comply. He called two constables with tools, and they went through the mortuary’s back door to a gentle slope beside a small river, a tributary of the Yu River. Since the mortuary was in the southern part of the city with few residences nearby, digging up this slope wouldn’t cause any disturbance.

The two constables followed Qin Wan’s instructions to dig a long, deep pit into the slope.

While the constables dug, Qin Wan put on protective gloves and began thoroughly cleaning the skeleton. This time, Qin Wan was even more meticulous than before. She used a decoction made from Atractylodes and soapbean to wash the bones thoroughly, removing the greasy dirt to reveal their true appearance. Then she scraped away the waxy tissue layer by layer until the remains became completely skeletal.

After preparing the remains, the constables had nearly finished digging the pit. Qin Wan inspected it and ordered them to add firewood and charcoal until the pit walls glowed red. Because of the recent rain, it took almost half an hour of burning to achieve the effect Qin Wan wanted. She had them remove all the charcoal and firewood, then pour three shengs of wine and five shengs of vinegar into the hot pit. Taking advantage of the rising steam, they placed the remains, wrapped in reed mats, into the pit.

They covered it with several straw mats and thus began the bone steaming process.

This entire procedure took nearly two hours. The constables were sweating profusely, and the area outside the pit was littered with charcoal and firewood. Qin Wan stood with Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun at a distance, when Li Muyun asked, “How long does the Princess plan to steam them?”

Qin Wan replied, “An hour and a half.”

Zheng Baishi clicked his tongue. “Princess, this method… is quite… I thought we’d be boiling the bones in water. Where did you learn this technique?”

Qin Wan replied calmly, “I read it in a book. I hope it works. My earlier examination was cursory, but now that we’re re-examining, we shouldn’t miss anything. Only this method can clean the bones thoroughly and reveal their original injuries.”

Li Muyun gazed at Qin Wan. “The Princess’s method is unprecedented.”

Qin Wan glanced at Li Muyun discreetly and noticed his intense gaze. She felt slightly uneasy, but at this point, unease had become routine for her, almost habitual. Along with it came a sort of fearless courage.

Meeting Li Muyun’s gaze, Qin Wan said, “This bone steaming can only be done on clear days. If it’s raining and we can’t steam the bones, we’d have to boil them. As Lord Zheng mentioned, we’d boil water with ten shengs of vinegar, add salt and white plums, and cook them together with the bones. That would also reveal the injuries. If the rain hadn’t stopped earlier, we’d have needed to find a pot to boil the bones.”

Hearing this, Zheng Baishi felt an inexplicable chill down his spine. Imagining people setting up a pot in the mortuary to boil a corpse’s remains was unsettling. In comparison, steaming seemed more elegant.

With this thought, Zheng Baishi’s gaze toward Qin Wan grew more respectful. Sometimes he could hardly believe Qin Wan was just a teenage girl; given her knowledge, a white-bearded old man might have seemed more credible.

Since they still had to wait, Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun returned to the mortuary.

Shortly after returning, Zhan Yang came in from outside.

Zhan Yang looked troubled. Seeing him, Zheng Baishi asked, “How is it? The Wu family hasn’t left yet?”

Qin Wan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. Zhan Yang nodded helplessly, “No, I couldn’t wait anymore, so I slipped away.”

Qin Wan asked, “Which Wu family?”

Zhan Yang smiled bitterly, “The Wu family of Viscount Weiyuan…”

Qin Wan understood. Zhan Yang continued, “The previous incident didn’t end well. When Viscount Weiyuan found out, he became even more determined to find his eldest son. The second son has also somewhat come to his senses and now comes to the office daily to inquire. It’s becoming tiresome.”

Previously, Wu Yu had caused misunderstandings by embezzling the Viscount’s family property and was framed by the real culprit, ultimately being arrested as a suspect. When the truth came out, although Wu Yu wasn’t the killer, his motives couldn’t be hidden. The Viscount presumably felt his third son wasn’t truly his own and couldn’t be trusted. While placating Wu Yu, he invested heavily in searching for his eldest son Wu Jin. When the second son learned his family property had been stolen, he angrily confronted Wu Yu, but the Viscount’s household was already under Wu Yu’s control, and Wu Yu held an official position. The second son couldn’t do anything about it, so he became even more determined to find his elder brother.

Hearing this, Qin Wan frowned. “Still no clues?”

Zhan Yang smiled bitterly, “Too much time has passed. There’s not a single lead…”

Qin Wan understood. Zheng Baishi snorted, “They didn’t think to search earlier, and now that the family’s falling apart, they’re suddenly anxious, coming to make scenes at the office daily!”

Zheng Baishi disliked the second son. The Wu family’s second son was already incompetent, and now being forced by his father to frequent the office, he probably wasn’t handling things well. Qin Wan shook her head. It wasn’t that the Lin’an Prefecture Office wouldn’t help, but with the Prince Jin manor case now, Zhan Yang naturally couldn’t handle this old case simultaneously.

After complaining for a while, Zhan Yang entered the inner room. He quickly returned, exclaiming in shock, “Where’s the body?!”

Zheng Baishi started, then laughed, “Oh right, we forgot to tell you. The remains are in the pit outside the back door.”

Zhan Yang clearly didn’t understand, his eyes wide. Li Muyun then explained Qin Wan’s method. Zhan Yang marveled at it and hurried to look outside the back door. When he returned, he was thoroughly impressed with Qin Wan!

Qin Wan remained composed. She had indeed seen this method in a book, though it was her father who had read it and improved upon it. He had used it several times in his examinations, solving many mysterious cases.

Since steaming the bones took considerable time, Zheng Baishi discussed the case’s suspicious points with Li Muyun.

Zheng Baishi asked, “If we confirm the identity, can we investigate the Imperial Punishment Department?”

Li Muyun frowned slightly and sighed, “Difficult.”

The palace was beyond the law’s reach, and the Imperial Punishment Department didn’t follow the same rules as the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review. Investigating internal matters for an external case would be irregular, but how else could they discover what happened to Song Xiwen?

Most of what Yan Chi and Qin Wan knew, Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang had also discovered through investigation. They knew Song Xiwen had been in the Imperial Punishment Department, but what happened to him there and how he got out remained unknown.

Zheng Baishi smiled bitterly, “This case – leaving it alone would be easier. Once we start investigating, the future is uncertain.”

Zheng Baishi’s words were particularly bleak. Qin Wan immediately thought of her father – if he hadn’t been the chief investigator in Prince Jin’s case, that incident would never have implicated him.

Beside them, Li Muyun’s expression changed, his narrow eyes squinting. Qin Wan seemed to see some desolation in those eyes as well. She laughed coldly inside. You were the one who exposed my father, so for whom do you show such bleakness?!

Since this case was to be investigated, Zheng Baishi would naturally take the lead. Before the Emperor spoke, it had little to do with Li Muyun, yet he had come to the mortuary so proactively, without even informing Zheng Baishi…

Qin Wan had only one thought: Li Muyun had something to hide.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Wan didn’t want to make such suspicions without evidence, but she knew it was Li Muyun who had exposed her father. Considering various strange circumstances, Li Muyun was truly the prime suspect.

However, back then, Li Muyun was just a third-rank Junior Lord of the Court of Judicial Review. With his humble background, how could he dare handle such a major case without backing? But who was behind Li Muyun?

As Qin Wan fell into deep thought, Li Muyun hesitated before saying, “If this case connects to last year’s events, neither of us will be able to protect ourselves…”

Zheng Baishi hesitated briefly but ultimately asked nothing.

Soon after, Qin Wan said she would go check on things outside, and everyone naturally accompanied her.

When they arrived at the back, they saw that the heated pit had cooled down. Zhan Yang touched the nearby slope and said, “The heat has mostly dissipated. Wonder if it’s ready.”

This method of digging a hole and making fire could roast sweet potatoes, but now the pit was steaming human bones. If any passerby knew the truth, they’d likely be terrified.

Qin Wan shook her head, “No rush, let’s wait a bit longer.”

After another moment, Qin Wan poured the remaining wine into the pit opening. Only when the wine traces had been completely evaporated by the remaining heat did she nod and order, “Remove the remains.”

When they opened the sealed straw mats, steam still rose with a pungent mixture of wine and vinegar. Two constables carefully removed the bones and placed them on a wooden board, carrying them back to the mortuary. Qin Wan directed them to place the board under the eaves, where she began a careful examination in the natural light.

“The deceased’s third and fourth ribs on the left side, left wrist bone, right tibia, both kneecaps, and both scapulae show faint red markings and slight blood shadows. This indicates the victim sustained many injuries before death. These injuries are mostly from impacts, except for the initial wound we found from a sharp weapon. Simply put, they were beaten with fists and kicks, or tortured with other blunt objects. There’s also a purple-black blood shadow on the occipital bone at the back of the skull, likely from a blunt force impact.”

“There’s a faint crack with very light blood shadowing on the deceased’s left fibula, likely an old injury. Additionally, there’s a similar crack on the right ulna. Such injuries typically result from powerful impacts, such as blocking a heavy blow during combat, or falling from horseback and bracing with the hands. The leg injury shows similar circumstances—”

“Besides the injuries, this person had a slight leg length discrepancy. Their left knee bent slightly inward, making the right leg appear longer than the left. Their shoulders would have swayed while walking, and their lower body techniques must have been very stable, especially…” Qin Wan paused, “especially skilled at generating force with the left leg and striking with the right.”

As Qin Wan examined everything one by one, what appeared to others as mere bones revealed countless clues to her. Zheng Baishi, Li Muyun, Zhan Yang, and the other constables had a kind of blind worship and trust in Qin Wan. The constables recorded each of her observations. Zheng Baishi didn’t understand forensics, and Li Muyun’s knowledge wasn’t as extensive as Qin Wan’s. Under such absolute professional authority, even if Qin Wan had declared the person was Song Xiwen, Zheng Baishi wouldn’t have dared doubt it.

But Qin Wan couldn’t say that. She detailed these findings one by one, and the rest required no explanation – Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang would naturally investigate. After a thorough examination, she added, “This person endured considerable torture before death, which aligns with the fact that Song Xiwen had been in the Imperial Punishment Department. Beyond that, I cannot say.”

Zheng Baishi quickly responded, “Don’t worry, Princess. We will verify these findings.”

Qin Wan examined everything once more meticulously. “That’s all the information from the remains for now. I can estimate a fairly precise height – approximately five feet seven inches, certainly not short. Combined with the facial features we identified earlier, it should be quite easy to confirm such a person in Prince Jin’s household.”

Even if someone had similar height and Western Region features, would they have the same injuries?

Especially the old injuries and martial arts techniques Qin Wan had identified – an investigation would surely reveal some traces.

Zheng Baishi reviewed the examination record with admiration. The Lin’an Prefecture’s coroner had been quite helpless when examining these remains – the bones were covered in thick waxy material, and even after scraping, only grayish-brown bone residue was visible. Only Qin Wan could use such methods to reveal the hidden injuries.

“Thank you for your hard work, Princess. With these findings, our evidence is much more substantial.”

Qin Wan waved her hand, “Keep the remains. I might think of other clues to check.”

Zheng Baishi nodded and chatted with Qin Wan for a few more moments. Seeing it was getting late, he escorted her from the mortuary.

Once in her carriage, Qin Wan touched her sleeve pocket.

Compared to other coroners, she had an advantage. Yan Chi had given her extensive information about Song Xiwen, including whether he was left or right-handed and his typical martial arts techniques. Following these leads, she had indeed found clues. On her way to the mortuary, she had even considered what she would do if the person turned out not to be Song Xiwen – whether she should falsify the evidence.

Fortunately, this was indeed Song Xiwen, and heaven hadn’t forced her to face such a choice.

The specific details would naturally be verified by the officials. Qin Wan returned to the Marquis’s manor to rest. On this autumn day, the strength she had drawn from Yan Chi seemed nearly depleted, but thinking of him exhausting himself in the white-draped Prince Rui’s manor, her fatigue and anxiety seemed insignificant.

Early the next morning, Qin Wan went to Prince Yi’s manor to treat Yan Ze’s eye condition.

Yue Ning was already waiting at Prince Yi’s manor. When Qin Wan arrived, she saw Yue Ning holding Yan Ze’s hand, and walking in the garden.

Qin Wan’s footsteps were light, and neither noticed her. The servant guiding her was about to announce her presence, but Qin Wan gestured for silence.

She heard Yue Ning say, “Third Brother, can you feel it? Can you touch it? Guess what it is?”

Yan Ze wore a gentle smile, “It’s osmanthus.”

Yue Ning frowned, complaining playfully, “You… I suspect your eyes have already healed!”

Yan Ze laughed, “The flower buds are so small, and the osmanthus fragrance is so strong – how could I not guess correctly?” He lightly sniffed the osmanthus in his palm and smiled, “Being blind for so long, if my mind weren’t a bit sharper, how could I survive…”

Though Yan Ze meant it as a joke, Qin Wan saw Yue Ning’s expression darken.

Yue Ning said urgently, “Don’t worry, Third Brother. You’ll get better soon.”

Yan Ze smiled, patting Yue Ning’s head, “I know.” Then, as if unable to bear it, he added, “But… don’t hope for too much. After all, it’s been so many years.”

This made Yue Ning’s heart ache even more – Yan Ze was the one who was ill, yet he was comforting her.

Yue Ning quickly said, “I know, Third Brother. Don’t worry, if we can’t cure your eyes this time, I’ll be your walking stick.”

Yan Ze paused briefly, then smiled gently again, “It’s not that serious. You’ll marry someday – how could you be Third Brother’s walking stick? It’s just a pity that Third Brother probably won’t be able to see you on your wedding day.”

Yue Ning’s lips moved, seeming to want to say something but holding back. At this moment, Qin Wan walked over.

Yue Ning spotted her immediately and called out, “Qin Wan is here!”

Hearing footsteps, Yan Ze turned toward Qin Wan, “The Princess has arrived.”

Qin Wan smiled, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

After paying respects, they all walked toward the flower hall together.

“How have you been feeling these past days, Your Highness?”

Yan Ze smiled, “There’s still a gray cloth covering my vision. Sometimes it deepens to black, sometimes it’s like a gray mist, but I still can’t see anything.”

Qin Wan quickly said, “Your Highness needn’t worry. This is a good sign. Your eyes can now perceive light and color, indicating that vision isn’t far away.”

As they spoke, Sun Muqing arrived. After exchanging a few words, Sun Muqing took the opportunity while Qin Wan was preparing her needles to say, “Princess, my quarters are ready. Shall we take a look tomorrow?”

Qin Wan was slightly startled but nodded, “Alright—”

They had originally planned for Qin Wan and the others to visit at the end of last month, but there had been many matters to attend to. Sun Muqing seized this opportunity, and seeing Qin Wan agree, she went to tell Yue Ning and Yan Ze, who naturally consented happily.

After Qin Wan finished the acupuncture treatment, Yan Ze felt much more comfortable and warm around his eyes.

Sun Muqing smiled at Qin Wan, “His Highness’s eyes improve day by day. I believe he’ll be able to see before long.”

Qin Wan also breathed a sigh of relief, “Yes. Thank you for your attention to the medicinal decoctions, Young Master Sun.”

Sun Muqing waved his hands repeatedly, appearing somewhat embarrassed, “Actually, it’s mainly your remarkable needlework.”

Qin Wan shook her head with a smile, but Sun Muqing couldn’t help continuing, “My junior martial sister also loved studying acupuncture classics. She eventually became more skilled than one of my martial uncles, and they often practiced together for hours. Unfortunately, I wasn’t cut out for it.”

Qin Wan’s heart tightened, and she quickly said, “Don’t belittle yourself, Young Master Sun. I know very little about your areas of expertise.”

Seeing that Sun Muqing wanted to say more, and with Yue Ning and Yan Ze nearby, Qin Wan hastily changed the subject. After chatting briefly and confirming their meeting at Sun Muqing’s new residence the next day, she took her leave.

After Qin Wan left, Sun Muqing sighed. Yue Ning asked, “Young Master Sun, do you think Qin Wan resembles your junior martial sister?”

Sun Muqing shrank his neck, “No, no, the Princess is the Princess, naturally not my junior martial sister, just…” Sun Muqing thought of many details but felt it inappropriate to compare a living person to someone deceased, so he said, “Perhaps I’ve never seen such a young woman with such advanced medical skills. Hehe, I apologize for my rudeness.”

Sun Muqing’s simple nature and apologetic tone made it difficult for Yue Ning to inquire further.

Early the next morning, Qin Wan had gifts prepared and headed to the Sun residence.

In just over two months, the former disgraced official’s residence had been completely transformed. The doorplate had been replaced, and the entire entrance had shed its air of decline. When Qin Wan’s carriage stopped at the front, she felt momentarily dazed.

Though she had wanted to do this herself, Sun Muqing had beaten her to it.

Sun Muqing hadn’t brought servants when he came to the capital, but such a large residence needed at least a couple of people to maintain. Uncle Han had found two clever and upright servants for Sun Muqing. When Qin Wan arrived at the door, someone came to greet her.

The moment she stepped inside, Qin Wan’s footsteps halted. Though the residence had been destroyed by fire, the foundation remained. Sun Muqing had ordered construction on the original foundation. Except for converting the original wing rooms into a landscaped pool and rockery, most areas remained unchanged. Thus, Qin Wan immediately experienced that strange yet familiar feeling.

How many times had she wandered past this street without daring to approach? Now, stepping through this doorway, Qin Wan felt her nose burn and her throat constrict. She stood frozen inside the door, surprising both the servant and Bai Ying who followed her. Qin Wan tightly clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms – the pain bringing her back to reality.

Qin Wan said, “This residence is truly elegant—”

After this praise, she slowly entered. Sun Muqing came out from inside, smiling, “I built it according to the original residence. The previous owners had excellent taste.”

Qin Wan smiled wryly. When her father had bought this residence, he hadn’t been so particular. It was her mother who had taken care of arranging everything, thinking that since her father would stay long in the capital, a home for the family shouldn’t be carelessly arranged.

Walking along the courtyard corridor toward the interior, Qin Wan quickly saw the almost identical main courtyard. In a flash, she could vaguely see her father receiving guests in the main hall. Her chambers had been in the back. When her father returned, he would first sit in the main hall briefly, then soon go to his study. Her mother would bring prepared tea and snacks directly there, sometimes accompanying him as he read, sometimes helping him grind ink. When her father planned to work through the night, he would first coax her mother to leave. Her mother would then take a detour to find her, and only after mother and daughter chatted for a while would her mother return to her room. Knowing her father must have encountered a difficult problem, she would brew a pot of his favorite Biluochun tea and bring it to him. At such times, her father would even share his perplexities with her…

“Princess? Princess, what’s wrong?”

Sun Muqing’s voice brought Qin Wan back to reality. She quickly said, “Nothing, what were you saying just now?”

Sun Muqing looked at Qin Wan with concern, “Princess, are you alright?”

Qin Wan rallied her spirits and smiled, “I’m fine! Just thinking about the Prince Jin Manor case and got distracted. I apologize.”

Sun Muqing waved his hands repeatedly, “I know about the case the Princess mentioned. The whole capital is talking about it. It’s alright, Princess, you’re truly working hard. I was saying that there are two osmanthus trees in the back garden, and I had someone pick some flowers to make tea. It’s quite fragrant.”

Before he finished speaking, a servant came to announce, “Master, the Princess and Young Prince have arrived!”

Sun Muqing’s eyes brightened, and he suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed.

Qin Wan understandingly said, “Go ahead, I’ll go look at those osmanthus trees you mentioned…”

Sun Muqing smiled broadly and had another person guide Qin Wan to the back garden while he hurried to the front gate. Qin Wan didn’t need a guide, but she had to suppress her inner turmoil and maintain a calm appearance as she walked slowly. Along the way, she passed her father’s study, her mother’s favorite warm pavilion, and saw the courtyard her mother had so carefully tended. Further back was where her chambers had been. In late autumn, the two osmanthus trees were lush and green, with yellow flower buds dotting their tips. One look sent a sharp pain through Qin Wan’s heart. Because her father’s northern residence had osmanthus trees, they had planted two new ones after moving to the capital. These trees had had many branches cut off…

Qin Wan unconsciously walked under the osmanthus trees. The autumn breeze rustled, and flower petals fell like stars. Breathing in the sweet, gentle fragrance, her whole body trembled slightly. Bai Ying frowned, wanting to speak but unsure what was wrong with Qin Wan. The servant, unfamiliar with Qin Wan, couldn’t detect anything amiss. Soon, Sun Muqing arrived with Yue Ning and Yan Ze.

Presumably, to avoid attention, Yan Ze wasn’t wearing his medicinal clothes today. If not for Yue Ning holding his sleeve, others might not have noticed anything different about him. He walked gracefully along the outer corridor, his phoenix eyes clear and transparent. If not for his unmoving pupils, who would have guessed he was blind?

Yue Ning’s footsteps paused, and Yan Ze stopped with her.

Yue Ning watched Qin Wan standing under the osmanthus trees, frowning slightly. Sun Muqing also looked at Qin Wan, while Yan Ze, unaware of what was happening, stared blankly in Qin Wan’s direction.

When Qin Wan noticed Sun Muqing and the others approaching, it was too late. Her throat was constricted and her hands trembling – anyone could see something was wrong. Sun Muqing quickly called out, “Princess?”

Qin Wan turned around, holding several osmanthus flowers in her palm, and smiled bitterly, “My mother loved osmanthus flowers. Since I was little, she loved making osmanthus cakes for me. The Qin manor in Jinzhou also had osmanthus trees.” She looked at Yue Ning, “Do you remember?”

Yue Ning had been to the Qin manor in Jinzhou and vaguely remembered. She quickly nodded, “Yes, yes. So that’s why you seemed off – thinking about the past.”

Yue Ning grabbed Qin Wan’s wrist and led her forward, “Standing there alone lost in thought is quite scary. Let’s go have tea instead. The divine doctor said this residence was burned beyond recognition, and everything is new now. Let’s go take a look.”

Yue Ning was straightforward and didn’t want Qin Wan dwelling in sadness, so she pulled her away from the two osmanthus trees.

As Yue Ning led Qin Wan away, she momentarily forgot about Yan Ze, who stood somewhat bewildered in place. His eyes moved slightly, wanting to follow the sound of Yue Ning and Qin Wan’s footsteps, but they had already gone too far. Knowing Sun Muqing was still nearby, he turned toward him, “No wonder I smelled osmanthus fragrance when we entered. There are osmanthus trees here?”

Sun Muqing smiled. With Yue Ning gone, as the host, he naturally needed to take care of Yan Ze. He said, “Yes, these two osmanthus trees were from the original courtyard. The fire burned about half of them, but over the year, the trees didn’t die. Instead, they grew new branches. I remember my junior martial sister liked osmanthus flowers, so I kept the trees. In this entire courtyard, only this corner’s building still shows its original appearance. I guess this must have been my junior martial sister’s chambers, so I left this area unchanged according to the original layout.”

Knowing Yan Ze couldn’t see, Sun Muqing said no more, only raising his hand to say, “Your Highness, follow me.”

Yan Ze reached out and caught Sun Muqing’s sleeve, then smiled wryly. Yue Ning had insisted on being his walking stick today, but the girl had walked so quickly. Without his cane today, he felt quite inconvenienced.

In the front hall, Qin Wan had composed herself and was talking with Yue Ning. When Yue Ning saw Yan Ze enter holding Sun Muqing’s sleeve, she immediately jumped up, “Ah, Third Brother, I completely forgot about you…”

Yan Ze replied with helpless affection, “See? I dare not let you be my walking stick.”

Yue Ning was quite embarrassed and shot Qin Wan a reproachful look. Qin Wan covered her mouth and laughed. Yue Ning then stayed close to Yan Ze, speaking softly and contritely. Yan Ze could do nothing with her. Everyone chatted and laughed for a while. Though the residence wasn’t large, Sun Muqing had put considerable thought into it. Although Yan Ze couldn’t see, he rarely left Prince Yi’s manor since returning to the capital, so coming out like this was beneficial.

Everyone had brought gifts. Not wanting Sun Muqing to misunderstand, Qin Wan didn’t cater to his preferences but simply gave a set of scholar’s four treasures. After staying at Sun’s residence for half a day, when everyone parted, Sun Muqing returned to Prince Yi’s manor with Yan Ze.

He hadn’t bought this residence intending to truly live there – mainly because it was the former residence. Qin Wan understood everything, and on her way back to the Marquis’s manor, her heart felt heavy with pain.

She even remembered the chaos of their final escape. Her father had never been so grave before. She and her mother knew something was wrong at first glance, so when her father ordered them to pack and leave, they prepared without a single question. They abandoned many things and left within the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Afterward, everything returned to blood, fire, and dust.

Bai Ying drove the carriage with only Qin Wan inside. She suddenly felt her eyes grow wet and quickly closed them. This was why she had hesitated so long to buy the residence. Just entering that door brought all memories flooding back inescapably, like the shock and anger she felt the first time she returned to the capital and stood outside the imperial city. How could someone who had died once forget that taste?

Qin Wan covered her eyes with her sleeve, the fine silk absorbing her tears. When she lowered her sleeve, except for the moisture in her eyes, no trace of crying remained. She lifted the carriage curtain to let in the cool breeze. The cold wind dispersed all her earlier grief and indignation. She watched the gloomy sky for a while and released her final sigh of melancholy.

Two days later, Prince Rui’s coffin returned to the capital under Prince Yi’s escort.

That day, the Nine Cities Patrol established security outside the city gate. The coffin containing Prince Rui’s remains, accompanied by vast arrays of funeral banners and white mourning cloth, slowly advanced toward the city gate. Yan Chi wore mourning clothes, with many servants from Prince Rui’s household and the inner palace standing behind him, watching the approaching white with solemn expressions.

Prince Yi wore white flowers on his sleeve cuff. He rode at the front, and upon seeing Yan Chi, dismounted. The coffin bearers were troops from Liang Prefecture. Though each showed fatigue and dark complexions from their long journey, their expressions held no complaint or arrogance. They carried Prince Rui Yan Lin’s coffin – within eternally slept the commander who had protected the northwest for decades, the eagle soaring over the northwestern plateau. Without him, there would be no peace in the northwestern cities. Without him, the barbarian enemies would have long since broken through and driven straight into Zhou’s heartland.

Everyone in the northwest knew Prince Rui Yan Lin’s reputation. When this mighty mountain that could withstand all storms fell, the northwestern military and civilians could hardly believe it. When the Emperor’s obituary was issued, the Northwest fell into panic. While the capital was shrouded in the shadow of Prince Rui’s death, not a single person could sleep well in the northwestern territories.

Yan Chi stared blankly at the coffin. It was an extremely ordinary coffin, completely unworthy of Prince Rui Yan Lin’s status. Looking at it, Yan Chi only hoped the person lying inside wasn’t his father.

He had only left Shuo Xi for a year. If he had known leaving couldn’t change anything, why had he returned to the capital?

For the first time, he began to question his father, the man who was a commander to the northwest and an eagle to him.

“Yan Chi, kowtow to your father and bring him home!” Prince Yi patted Yan Chi’s shoulder and said gravely.

Yan Chi remained dazed for a moment, then stepped forward, lifting his robe to bow.

He knocked his head heavily three times, his expression dazed and cold. Though it had only been half a month since they last met, Prince Yi sighed seeing Yan Chi’s dejected and exhausted appearance…

After completing his kowtow, Yan Chi rose, turned, and walked woodenly toward the city.

The funeral rites hadn’t begun, not even a memorial tablet was ready. Yan Chi’s hands were empty – the horsewhip he had been holding earlier had fallen to the ground. He had come on horseback but now seemed to have forgotten as he walked back.

The inner palace eunuchs looked at each other, not daring to remind Yan Chi. Prince Yi sighed and followed behind him.

The long procession draped in white mourning finally grandly entered the capital.

After many years, Prince Rui Yan Lin, who had worn golden armor through a hundred battles in the yellow sands, returned to the capital in such a desolate manner.

His achievements were in the northwest, so besides fear of the royal family, the capital’s citizens held little gratitude for this long-absent prince. This man had protected the northwest – what did that matter to these nobles at the Son of Heaven’s feet?

The road from the city gate to Prince Rui’s manor seemed exceptionally long. When the coffin stopped at Prince Rui’s manor, the long-prepared funeral rites officially began. Funeral banners stood erect, white curtains hung on all sides. Looking at the dark and cold Prince Rui’s manor, Yan Chi felt the entire manor was becoming a coffin. Gathering himself, he instructed the inner palace eunuchs to prepare – he would personally change his father’s clothes.

Qin Wan hadn’t left the Marquis’s manor all day. The news came in one piece at a time. When the memorial hall was set up in Prince Rui’s manor, Qin Wan received the news. Qin Shu and Madam Hu had to pay their respects. As darkness fell, they left. Qin Wan sat in her room feeling cold all over. Though Fu Ling had placed a hand warmer in her hands, they still wouldn’t warm up.

Late at night, there was movement from the direction of the main courtyard. Bai Ying came in from outside and said, “Miss, the Marquis and Madam have returned from Prince Rui’s manor. I heard from Butler Wu that Prince Rui will be buried tomorrow afternoon.”

Prince Rui had been dead for many days, past even the first seven-day mourning period, yet such a hasty burial after returning to the capital seemed too rushed. This was Prince Rui, who had persevered and fought bitterly in Shuo Xi for decades!

The anger in Qin Wan’s heart rose again. Unfair, this world was truly too unfair!

Bai Ying looked at Qin Wan’s expression, wanting to speak but hesitating. Suddenly, a faint sound came from the back window. Bai Ying’s expression changed as she quickly walked to the inner room and opened the back window. A whooshing sound followed, and Bai Ying caught something – the window outside was silent, but in her palm was a letter. Bai Ying frowned and handed the letter to Qin Wan.

Past midnight, the entire Marquis’s manor was quiet.

Qin Wan wore a crow-black cloak and, accompanied by Bai Ying, carefully made her way through the central garden toward the side gate. The gate guard was fast asleep. Bai Ying quietly opened the side gate and immediately saw a carriage waiting outside.

Qin Wan’s heart suddenly raced. She quickly walked to the carriage and lifted the curtain to see Yan Chi wearing white mourning clothes. He was hidden in shadows, his emotions unclear, but the stark white of his clothes was particularly striking. Qin Wan immediately felt an urge to embrace him.

Her eyes grew warm as Yan Chi leaned out and pulled her up.

Settling in the carriage, Yan Chi’s features became clearer. His face showed calm composure, which worried Qin Wan all the more. She held his hand, and though she had countless things to say, as she moved her lips to speak, Yan Chi softly said, “Come with me, help me with something.”